Iran Worked to ‘Miniaturize’ Nuclear Weapon Design

Iran sought to miniaturize a Pakistani nuclear weapon design to fit on its ballistic missiles and continued working to raise the potential power of the weapons at least until 2010, United Nations inspectors reported today, citing “credible” intelligence from more than 10 countries.

Iran carried out “work on the development of an indigenous design of a nuclear weapon including the testing of components,” the International Atomic Energy Agency said today in a 15-page restricted document obtained by Bloomberg News. “Some activities relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device continued after 2003” and “some may still be ongoing.”

The document, drawing on eight years of collected evidence, shows that Iran worked to redesign and miniaturize a Pakistani nuclear-weapon design by using a web of front companies and foreign experts, according to the report and an international official familiar with the IAEA’s investigation.

Such a warhead could be mounted on Iran’s Shahab-3 missile, which has the range to reach Israel, according to the report.

“It is time for an unequivocal declaration that we will stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons capability — by peaceful means if we possibly can, but with military force if we absolutely must,” said Senator Joe Lieberman, a Connecticut independent.